Prepare two individual soufflé dishes, by buttering them well and shaking some sugar around the inside to coat the sides.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave on low power or in a double boiler, and allow to cool to room temperature.

Make the soufflé base: In a small saucepan, whisk the flour and milk together. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and place pan over medium heat and whisk until mixture comes to a boil. Allow to boil for about 30 seconds, remove from heat, and let stand a few minutes to cool slightly. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, the butter, vanilla, and the melted and cooled chocolate and the salt. (Add coffee, if using.)

Add chocolate mixture by pouring it down the side of the bowl containing the egg whites, and folding to combine. (This is different than the usual procedure of adding the whites in batches to the base, but it is Julia’s recipe, and we will not tamper with the goddess!)

Fill ramekins, place in oven and bake 15-20 minutes, until desired state of jiggle is achieved.